My first top down fire and it sucked

[dvellone]

It's probably been said before and a might be a bit off topic, but I'll use pine shavings for tinder from a local mill down the road and it really works a lot better than newspaper. Granted the folks at this mill give it out for free, but we've bought them bagged at the farm supply when in a pinch for bedding for nest boxes and it's still inexpensive enough for a cheap and effective fire starter. I'd think it would work well as a top down tinder as well.

 

[sandie]

My first fire and it was a top down and worked out well thankfully. dry wood from a couple of years ago wHen I bought it to do a campfire while camping so it is very dry etc. I am so thrilled with the new stove. Took a while to get from 60 degrees to 66.6 degrees at outside time of 44 but sure it will find its level and I just love watching it!

 

[LLigetfa]

It's probably been said before and a might be a bit off topic, but I'll use pine shavings for tinder from a local mill down the road and it really works a lot better than newspaper. Granted the folks at this mill give it out for free, but we've bought them bagged at the farm supply when in a pinch for bedding for nest boxes and it's still inexpensive enough for a cheap and effective fire starter. I'd think it would work well as a top down tinder as well.

If the liquor stores in your area use those heavy paper bags that hold one wine bottle, save them to put the shavings into. Nice contained way to store and use the shavings. Just pop the bag in the stove and light the edge of the paper.

 

[BrotherBart]

I have to confess. After being the cheerleader for top down for the last two years I started the coal bed fire from a cold stove tonight bottom up with poplar splits and a quarter of a Super Cedar. Worked a treat. Don't know if it smoked. You become a lot more contented wood burner the day you stop going outside to see if the chimney is smoking.

 

[LLigetfa]

You become a lot more contented wood burner the day you stop going outside to see if the chimney is smoking.

My hearth room is an ell so I can just look out the window. I only look if/when I have draft problems to see if smoke is going down.

 

[dvellone]

It's probably been said before and a might be a bit off topic, but I'll use pine shavings for tinder from a local mill down the road and it really works a lot better than newspaper. Granted the folks at this mill give it out for free, but we've bought them bagged at the farm supply when in a pinch for bedding for nest boxes and it's still inexpensive enough for a cheap and effective fire starter. I'd think it would work well as a top down tinder as well.

If the liquor stores in your area use those heavy paper bags that hold one wine bottle, save them to put the shavings into. Nice contained way to store and use the shavings. Just pop the bag in the stove and light the edge of the paper.

And I now have yet another excuse to visit the liquor store... this time its a constructive visit.